Athlone Borough Directory for 1862

From Thom's Irish Almanac and Official Directory for the Year 1862

Athlone, an inland town and parliamentary borough in Westmeath and Roscommon counties, partly in Leinster, but chiefly in Connaught province, 76 miles W. from Dublin, the boundaries for municipal purposes being defined in Local Act of 1852, and for parliamentary purposes by the Reform Act.

It is situated on both sides of the river Shannon, and being considered one of the principal military positions in Ireland, is secured by strong works on the Roscommon side, covering 15 acres, and containing 2 magazines, an ordnance store, an armoury for 15,000 stand of arms, and barracks for 1,500 men. The Shannon Commissioners have much improved the navigation of the river at this place by the construction of a large lock, custom wharves, a weir wall, and the magnificent cut-stone bridge (opened for traffic in 1844) ; large river steamers can now ply without interruption from the rapids between Killaloe and Carrick-on-Shannon, a distance of 116 miles. A brisk trade with Dublin and Limerick is maintained by means of the river and the Royal and Grand Canals, and Midland Great Western and Great Southern and Western Railways, besides which the Great Northern and Western Railway has branches to Roscommon and Castlerea. There are in the town 2 parochial Churches, 2 Roman Catholic parochial Chapels, and a new Roman Catholic Church is being erected in St. Mary's Parish, a Franciscan and Augustinian Chapel, Presbyterian, Baptist, and Methodist Meeting-houses, a Sessions Court House, and a Bridewell. The population in 1861 was 6,170, inhabiting 1,019 houses. There are factories for manufacture of stays and woollen goods. Fairs for horses and cattle are held on the Monday after 17th January (2 days)—21st March—Wednesday before Ascension Day, and 1st Monday in September (3 days), and will be held, in 1860, on Monday, 23rd January (2 days); Wednesday, 21st March; Wednesday, 16th May ; Monday, 3rd September (3 days). Markets on Tuesdays and Saturdays.

The property of the extinguished Corporation is vested in Town Commissioners, under a local Act for regulation of Tolls, Markets, &c. "The Athlone Market Act, 1852," with some public Acts incorporated therewith; "The Towns Improvement (Ireland) Act, 1854," has also been adopted. The Borough returns 1 member to Parliament, constituency, in 1861, 222. Three newspapers, the Westmeath Independent, Athlone Sentinel, and Westmeath Herald are published in the town.

Member of Parliament for the Borough.

John Ennis, esq. (1857), Ballinahoen, Athlone ; 9, Merrion-square, east, Dublin; Reform Club, London, S.W.

COMMISSIONERS APPOINTED UNDER THE TOWNS IMPROVEMENT ACT.

St. Peter's Ward. Sproule, Edward. Robinson, Albert B. Brackan, Thomas C. M'Donnell, John, F.L.G. Lyster, Patrick. Everard, George, P.L.G. Murphy, Patrick. Abbott, Netterville E. Lyster, Michael.

St. Mary's Ward. Kelly, Laurence, P.L.G. Maxwell, Patrick. Gill, Thomas. Potts, Wm., J.p., Chairm. Hetherington, George, M.P. Stokes, John. Geoghegan, Michael. Murtagh, James.

Solicitor to the Commissioners and Town Clerk, William Kelly, esq., Athlone, and 35, Up. Dorset-st., Dublin.

Collector of Inland Revenue, Harman Tarrant, esq.

Clerks, Joseph Moses and John Moore.

Crown Surveyor of Income Tax, J. P. Whitford, esq.

Distributer of Stamps, Miss Charlotte Hall.

Postmistress, Mrs. Elizabeth Walsh.

Staff Officer of Pensioners, Major Benj. B. Keane, unatt.

Assistant Superintendent of Stores and Barrack-master, James Windsor, esq.

Notary Public, W. N. Holton, esq.

BANKS.

Branches of the Provincial and National Banks.

ATHLONE UNION.

The Board of Guardians meets every Saturday.—For List of Officers, &c, see Westmeath County.